2,139 research outputs found

    On Formal Methods for Collective Adaptive System Engineering. {Scalable Approximated, Spatial} Analysis Techniques. Extended Abstract

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    In this extended abstract a view on the role of Formal Methods in System Engineering is briefly presented. Then two examples of useful analysis techniques based on solid mathematical theories are discussed as well as the software tools which have been built for supporting such techniques. The first technique is Scalable Approximated Population DTMC Model-checking. The second one is Spatial Model-checking for Closure Spaces. Both techniques have been developed in the context of the EU funded project QUANTICOL.Comment: In Proceedings FORECAST 2016, arXiv:1607.0200

    Physics of Transport and Traffic Phenomena in Biology: from molecular motors and cells to organisms

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    Traffic-like collective movements are observed at almost all levels of biological systems. Molecular motor proteins like, for example, kinesin and dynein, which are the vehicles of almost all intra-cellular transport in eukayotic cells, sometimes encounter traffic jam that manifests as a disease of the organism. Similarly, traffic jam of collagenase MMP-1, which moves on the collagen fibrils of the extracellular matrix of vertebrates, has also been observed in recent experiments. Traffic-like movements of social insects like ants and termites on trails are, perhaps, more familiar in our everyday life. Experimental, theoretical and computational investigations in the last few years have led to a deeper understanding of the generic or common physical principles involved in these phenomena. In particular, some of the methods of non-equilibrium statistical mechanics, pioneered almost a hundred years ago by Einstein, Langevin and others, turned out to be powerful theoretical tools for quantitaive analysis of models of these traffic-like collective phenomena as these systems are intrinsically far from equilibrium. In this review we critically examine the current status of our understanding, expose the limitations of the existing methods, mention open challenging questions and speculate on the possible future directions of research in this interdisciplinary area where physics meets not only chemistry and biology but also (nano-)technology.Comment: 33 page Review article, REVTEX text, 29 EPS and PS figure

    IEEE Access Special Section Editorial: Big Data Technology and Applications in Intelligent Transportation

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    During the last few years, information technology and transportation industries, along with automotive manufacturers and academia, are focusing on leveraging intelligent transportation systems (ITS) to improve services related to driver experience, connected cars, Internet data plans for vehicles, traffic infrastructure, urban transportation systems, traffic collaborative management, road traffic accidents analysis, road traffic flow prediction, public transportation service plan, personal travel route plans, and the development of an effective ecosystem for vehicles, drivers, traffic controllers, city planners, and transportation applications. Moreover, the emerging technologies of the Internet of Things (IoT) and cloud computing have provided unprecedented opportunities for the development and realization of innovative intelligent transportation systems where sensors and mobile devices can gather information and cloud computing, allowing knowledge discovery, information sharing, and supported decision making. However, the development of such data-driven ITS requires the integration, processing, and analysis of plentiful information obtained from millions of vehicles, traffic infrastructures, smartphones, and other collaborative systems like weather stations and road safety and early warning systems. The huge amount of data generated by ITS devices is only of value if utilized in data analytics for decision-making such as accident prevention and detection, controlling road risks, reducing traffic carbon emissions, and other applications which bring big data analytics into the picture

    The 1st International Electronic Conference on Algorithms

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    This book presents 22 of the accepted presentations at the 1st International Electronic Conference on Algorithms which was held completely online from September 27 to October 10, 2021. It contains 16 proceeding papers as well as 6 extended abstracts. The works presented in the book cover a wide range of fields dealing with the development of algorithms. Many of contributions are related to machine learning, in particular deep learning. Another main focus among the contributions is on problems dealing with graphs and networks, e.g., in connection with evacuation planning problems

    Fair Resource Allocation in Macroscopic Evacuation Planning Using Mathematical Programming: Modeling and Optimization

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    Evacuation is essential in the case of natural and manmade disasters such as hurricanes, nuclear disasters, fire accidents, and terrorism epidemics. Random evacuation plans can increase risks and incur more losses. Hence, numerous simulation and mathematical programming models have been developed over the past few decades to help transportation planners make decisions to reduce costs and protect lives. However, the dynamic transportation process is inherently complex. Thus, modeling this process can be challenging and computationally demanding. The objective of this dissertation is to build a balanced model that reflects the realism of the dynamic transportation process and still be computationally tractable to be implemented in reality by the decision-makers. On the other hand, the users of the transportation network require reasonable travel time within the network to reach their destinations. This dissertation introduces a novel framework in the fields of fairness in network optimization and evacuation to provide better insight into the evacuation process and assist with decision making. The user of the transportation network is a critical element in this research. Thus, fairness and efficiency are the two primary objectives addressed in the work by considering the limited capacity of roads of the transportation network. Specifically, an approximation approach to the max-min fairness (MMF) problem is presented that provides lower computational time and high-quality output compared to the original algorithm. In addition, a new algorithm is developed to find the MMF resource allocation output in nonconvex structure problems. MMF is the fairness policy used in this research since it considers fairness and efficiency and gives priority to fairness. In addition, a new dynamic evacuation modeling approach is introduced that is capable of reporting more information about the evacuees compared to the conventional evacuation models such as their travel time, evacuation time, and departure time. Thus, the contribution of this dissertation is in the two areas of fairness and evacuation. The first part of the contribution of this dissertation is in the field of fairness. The objective in MMF is to allocate resources fairly among multiple demands given limited resources while utilizing the resources for higher efficiency. Fairness and efficiency are contradicting objectives, so they are translated into a bi-objective mathematical programming model and solved using the ϵ-constraint method, introduced by Vira and Haimes (1983). Although the solution is an approximation to the MMF, the model produces quality solutions, when ϵ is properly selected, in less computational time compared to the progressive-filling algorithm (PFA). In addition, a new algorithm is developed in this research called the θ progressive-filling algorithm that finds the MMF in resource allocation for general problems and works on problems with the nonconvex structure problems. The second part of the contribution is in evacuation modeling. The common dynamic evacuation models lack a piece of essential information for achieving fairness, which is the time each evacuee or group of evacuees spend in the network. Most evacuation models compute the total time for all evacuees to move from the endangered zone to the safe destination. Lack of information about the users of the transportation network is the motivation to develop a new optimization model that reports more information about the users of the network. The model finds the travel time, evacuation time, departure time, and the route selected for each group of evacuees. Given that the travel time function is a non-linear convex function of the traffic volume, the function is linearized through a piecewise linear approximation. The developed model is a mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model with high complexity. Hence, the model is not capable of solving large scale problems. The complexity of the model was reduced by introducing a linear programming (LP) version of the full model. The complexity is significantly reduced while maintaining the exact output. In addition, the new θ-progressive-filling algorithm was implemented on the evacuation model to find a fair and efficient evacuation plan. The algorithm is also used to identify the optimal routes in the transportation network. Moreover, the robustness of the evacuation model was tested against demand uncertainty to observe the model behavior when the demand is uncertain. Finally, the robustness of the model is tested when the traffic flow is uncontrolled. In this case, the model's only decision is to distribute the evacuees on routes and has no control over the departure time

    Coordinated Transit Response Planning and Operations Support Tools for Mitigating Impacts of All-Hazard Emergency Events

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    This report summarizes current computer simulation capabilities and the availability of near-real-time data sources allowing for a novel approach of analyzing and determining optimized responses during disruptions of complex multi-agency transit system. The authors integrated a number of technologies and data sources to detect disruptive transit system performance issues, analyze the impact on overall system-wide performance, and statistically apply the likely traveler choices and responses. The analysis of unaffected transit resources and the provision of temporary resources are then analyzed and optimized to minimize overall impact of the initiating event

    Optimization for Decision Making II

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    In the current context of the electronic governance of society, both administrations and citizens are demanding the greater participation of all the actors involved in the decision-making process relative to the governance of society. This book presents collective works published in the recent Special Issue (SI) entitled “Optimization for Decision Making II”. These works give an appropriate response to the new challenges raised, the decision-making process can be done by applying different methods and tools, as well as using different objectives. In real-life problems, the formulation of decision-making problems and the application of optimization techniques to support decisions are particularly complex and a wide range of optimization techniques and methodologies are used to minimize risks, improve quality in making decisions or, in general, to solve problems. In addition, a sensitivity or robustness analysis should be done to validate/analyze the influence of uncertainty regarding decision-making. This book brings together a collection of inter-/multi-disciplinary works applied to the optimization of decision making in a coherent manner
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